9 December 2008

Before the holidays hit full force I need to do some "housecleaning" on this blog... people to thank... accolades to bestow...you know the drill. 'Tis the season to be jolly and all this baking, working and gaiety eats up on my blogging time. How dare I have a life...wink..wink...to interfere with my blogging!!!

THE CHALLENGE (if you should choose to accept it): Pass this on to five other bloggers, and tell them to open the nearest book to page 46. Write out the fifth sentence on that page, and also the next two to five sentences. The closest book, not the coolest, or the one you think will sound the best. THE CLOSEST.

Not that long ago I won a book from Glamah at Coco Cooks that I have been trying to devote my attention to between blogging, getting ready for the holidays and all of the above, etc. The book is called The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn. It is essentially a book about a woman in her early 30's who loses her job in the corporate world and decides to follow her dream to attend the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. Read Coco's review of the book here.

On page 46 it says.....

"Every so often, he offers an aside, murmured in Japanese. Even stoic L.P. is not immune to his charms, "He's very handsome, " she admits matter-of-factly. This week we are studying les pates de cuisine, common savory pastry doughs. Chef starts with pate leveesalee, a basic rising salted dough. Our first culinary task this week is pissaladiereNicoise, essentially a personal pizza with flavours typical of the south of France; gently roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, hairy anchovies, and dark olives. Anchovies are essential chef says, or it's not a pissaladiere, as it derives its name from pissala, a fish paste made from anchovies. Half the class groans at the mention of anchovies. He treats the crowd to his boyish half-grin."

So there you have it. Let's all read a good book and write about it. Wander over to Soccer Mom in Denial and find out how to get more involved.

Secondly check out the The Foodie Blogroll .What is the Foodie Blogroll you ask? It is the first and fastest growing free membership blogroll for food bloggers with over 2,500 members to date. It was created by our illustrious leader Jenn over at Leftover Queen who is the founder of The Foodie Blogroll. Here our community gathers to share ideas about all things food related. If you would like to join please click here or join the forum. Blogging is about sharing recipes and good food with friends worldwide but is also about spreading the word and being an ambassador and cheering section for the efforts of everyone out there in the blogosphere. My blog was randomly selected as one of the 3 monthly winners of the Foodie Blogroll 6-month Milestone Rewards Program and I won this mug!

Next... don't forget to join Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen who is hosting this months foodie event Because we can help with one of your favourite holiday dishes! There is still time to enter until December 28th. Her "foodie" inspired jewelry available through her website is part of our first initiative at our Social Network Bloggeraid and is getting us closer to our goal of raising funds for the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations frontline agency. It is people like you who can make a difference in this world. The blogging community is filled with caring people who touch our hearts everyday. We become a part of their lives, their accomplishments and their joys:D

Speaking of catching up, I want to thank you for the link you left on my blog (in regards to us gingerbread lovers). It sound delish and I never would have happened upon that recipe if it weren't for you, so thanks! :-)

before the holidays, i have a lot of things i need to do on the blog, but i think the family is going to have to take priority, especially after the mess our country has been plunged into. chaos cannot be allowed to reign everywhere!

What a fun mug! Enjoyed the quote from the book ... not too long ago we ordered a pizza and I ordered for carryout a tiny little pizza with anchovies on it. You'd have thought my goal was to gag my husband who, upon picking up the pizza and bringing it home, said that he drove home with his windows rolled all the way down to keep him from gagging. You should have seen his face as I savored every little salty/fishy bite. Ah well, more for me! :-)

I know its hard to keep up with blogging and just simple pleasures like reading. I hope you enjoyed it.So much is going on right now but I just wanted to say this Blogger Aid initiative of yours, Ivy, and Giz is a commendable and noble effort. My hats are off to you guys.

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.